Toy with bistable spring attachment component and skill game using same

ABSTRACT

There is provided herein a toy projectile comprising toy housing body and a bistable spring located on a front of the toy housing body and which has an opened position and a closed position and which is capable of transitioning therebetween. There is also provided a game which employs the toy projectile and processes of using the projectile.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a toy that can attach to a tubular object.

2. Background of the Art

Many toys have been used by children. The toys or projectiles are commonly set into motion by throwing, using a spring or rubber band incorporated into the toy, or using an air or spring-loaded gun to provide a force to project the toy. The accuracy of hitting or striking a target depends on the skill or experience of the person handling the toy.

The target is usually struck with the toy by employing proper strength and a lot of practice. Many toys attach to a target by means of a dart point, hook and loop material, magnets, etc.

The present disclosure improves on these prior art toys.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a toy having a bistable spring attached to a front end thereof. The toy is projected forward (using in one embodiment a rubber band) at a target, preferably a tubular object. When the bistable spring contacts the tubular object, the bistable spring will transfer from an opened position to a closed position, and preferably wrap around the tubular object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy projectile with a bistable spring in an opened position according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toy projectile with the bistable spring in a closed position according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the toy projectile with the bistable spring according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a toy car with the bistable spring in an opened position according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a game incorporating a toy projectile with the bistable spring according to the present disclosure.

Like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the disclosure taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed disclosure.

Also, as used in the specification and including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It is also understood that all spatial references, such as, for example, horizontal, vertical, top, upper, lower, bottom, left and right, are for illustrative purposes only and can be varied within the scope of the disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, disclosed is a toy projectile 100 with a bistable spring 120 positioned on a front end 130 of a toy housing body 110. The toy 100 can take various shapes, including, but not limited to, a dart or a car. The toy can be made from any materials including foam rubber, plastic, wood, etc. With the bistable spring 120 in an opened position (see FIG. 1) the toy is projected toward a target 170 having a tubular shape 180 (see FIG. 5). When the bistable spring 120 contacts the target 170, the bistable spring 120 will transition to its closed configuration (see FIG. 2), and thus attach to the tubular component 180 of target 170.

Propelling the toy 100 toward a target 170 can be accomplished using any known means. For example, thrown by hand, using a spring or rubber band attached to the toy, or using an external propulsion device like an air gun or spring loaded gun.

The toy projectile 100 can comprise a rubber band or coil and physical bendable object such as bistable spring and housing such as an arrow shaped object (e.g., a dart) or any other device including a car. The bistable spring 120 can be attached to the front end 130 of the housing 110, but can also be attached or assembled at other locations on the housing body. Additional elements can be added or removed depending on the characteristics of the materials and the toy itself.

The attachment or assembled object can contain a rubber band or tension object 140 inside 150 of the housing 110. One end of rubber band or tension object 140 is fixed on the inside 150 within the housing bodyl10. The fixed portion is not easily detachable. The other end of rubber band or tension object can be controlled by pulling a hook or a loop 160 to aim at and propel the toy 100 towards a target 170 (see FIG. 5). Most of the material of the rubber band or tension object 140 is inserted in the body of the housing 110 or attached inside of body 150. The portion of the loop or hook 160 would be come out of the body 110 and can be any shape, preferably it can be a hook or loop 160. A user (see FIG. 5) can easily operate the hook or loop 160 to lock in or hang on another object like a car or air gun. The loop or hook 160 can be attached to other object to get propel or tension. The user can also pull out the extended hoop 160.

In another example, the toy 100 can easily be attached or assembled with another object to provide propulsion, such as such as shooting device, an air gun, or other tangible device, or as a car attached to a car launcher (see FIG. 4). The toy 100 can be easily separable or dispatchable with a function of the assembled device. The separable body can be detached or separable during the shooting or throwing process, but the separation can also occur while it is projected forward.

In addition, the toy would not necessarily be attached to another object. It can be thrown by the user. The rubber band or flexible object 140 can be replaced with another material to have more tension.

The toy 100 can be attached with an arrow shape (see FIGS. 1-3) housing 110 (e.g., a dart) to fly or propel the object. The arrow shape housing 110 is made for reduced air resistance and to increase the target accuracy. The arrow shape might be comprised with wings and/or other winged-shaped components. Rounded, bar shaped, arrow shaped, or any shape can be used for housing. The head of the arrow contains the bistable spring.

The bistable spring 120 can be manufactured from various materials with a certain tension.

Some portion or the entire toy 100 can be elongated like bistable spring 120 but the tension makes it at any form or shape. It would be attached to the housing 110 or another body of the housing 110. The shape would not be limited.

The toy 100 can comprise elongated and some rigid portion or potential energy concentrated potion and other house portion which maintain the fixed position. While stretching elongated portions, the other housing portion might be kept fixed position. Another example, the coil in the toy contained in or made with can be comprised with some portions that are the same as the elongated housing portion 110. The tension can be used to propel the toy toward a target. However, it would be not limited thereto. The source of tension might be a device such as air gun or human propulsion.

The bistable spring 120 on the front 130 of the housing body 110 coils up or rolls up when it strikes or hits another object 170. Pulling out of the loop or the hook 160 from the inside 150 of the housing 110 will give tension to the bistable spring 120 allowing it to stretch out into the open position.

The bistable spring 120 can be positioned in an opened configuration (see FIG. 1) or a closed configuration (see FIG. 2). The rolled up or coiled status might be changed with any impact to the bistable spring 120. To increase the impact to strike a target 170, the flying object 100 might contain more flexible material. The bistable spring 120 can be easily operated even with the rubber band or the tension material 140 in the housing body 110.

The toy 100 can be easily handled by extending or bending or attaching it to another object (such as a toy gun but it is not limited, it can be any launching device to send, throw, or fly the object but the original form can be recoverable after the stress on the object is released.) The recoverable time is variable depending on the tension of the object. The open configuration can be transitioned to the coiled position by hitting an object, such as the target 170 having a tubular shape 180 which results from pressure from the strike.

The spring material would be bearable with more tension. However, it is not limited to a certain material and the object can be any material having a certain degree with a tension. The operation might adjust the tension by stretching or using another device such as air gun or another assembled object.

The toy 100 can be thrown, shot, or launched by another device. The toy 100 can change a shape if the toy 100 hits or strikes another object like the standings 170 or other hard object. For example, an entire spring 120 can wrap around the object 180. Another example, the flying object 100 can strike and stick to a target object 170 by changing to the particular shape using a tension. It would be occurred by the hitting impact or in a set time. The flying object 100 can be converted to the certain round state or coil to wrap the object upon striking the target object 170.

The toy 100 can wrap around the hit object (target) 170, particular the bar or pointed or any round or tubular object 180. The user can make or adjust a hitting object 170 to enhance the chances of being hit. The target 170 can be any shape and can be made to enhance the chances of getting the toy 100 to attached around the target 180.

The tension of the bistable spring 120 can be varied and so can the shape provide it would not limit the spring tension of the bistable spring 120. An object of the game (see FIG. 5) would be to have the toy 100 wrap around the target 170 with an entire body or separable body from the original form. While the object 100 is flying, the tension would be propelled for the object to fly or projectile to a target 170.

The target 170 should be a proper shape to be wrapped by the bistable spring 120. The target 170 can be a bar, pointed, tubular, or rounded type of object 180. The target 170 can be hard or soft material depending on the game. It might be attachable by the hitting impact. There might be variable shapes for the proper hitting or property wrapping object 180. So, the user who throws the object 100 might get enhanced by the flying object 100 hitting a pointed target 170. However, the target 170 is not limited to the aforementioned objects. In addition, the target 170 can be a human or living thing. The toy 100 can wrap or surround the target 170 with the coil or tension of the bistable spring 120.

The toy 100 can be thrown to make a game with other users. The toy 100 might be properly caught by a target 170 by accuracy of handling. The game might occur by giving more points when the toy 170 attached to a target 180.

The toy 100 can be used for children as a toy to launch or throwing object to get a target 170 but it would not be limited to the purpose. For example, the police can launch the flying object 100 to catch a fugitive. The bistable spring 120 or similar tension material will restrain the fugitive or capture the fugitive. The launcher can be any device to send a bistable spring 120 or a flying material 100. The police can shoot a flying object 100 for a safe arrest instead of injuring or fatal shooting. The flying object 100 can be used in the prison to restrain an aggressive inmate with a proper launcher. Any purpose of the flying object 100 can be used for various purpose.

The toy concept can be applied to the front of a car. The position will be not limited to the portion of the car. It can be attached to any position of the car depending on the convenience or the feature. The rubber band 140 or any similar material which has a tension or flexibility will be installed in the car. The size of the toy 100 would be fitted to attach to a car. The elongated portion 110 would be stretched out and the energy will be concentrated in the middle. When the bistable spring or similar material 120 hit or strikes a target 170, the spring 120 wraps object with the elongated portion 180. The coil shape would be formed when a target object 170 was wrapped or surrounded.

While the above description contains many specifics, these specifics should not be construed as limitations of the invention, but merely as exemplifications of preferred embodiments thereof. Those skilled in the art will envision many other embodiments within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

Where this application has listed the steps of a method or procedure in a specific order, it may be possible, or even expedient in certain circumstances, to change the order in which some steps are performed, and it is intended that the particular steps of the method or procedure claim set forth herein below not be construed as being order-specific unless such order specificity is expressly stated in the claim.

While the preferred embodiments of the devices and methods have been described in reference to the environment in which they were developed, they are merely illustrative of the principles of the inventions. Modification or combinations of the above-described assemblies, other embodiments, configurations, and methods for carrying out the invention, and variations of aspects of the invention that are obvious to those of skill in the art are intended to be within the scope of the claims. 

1. A toy projectile comprising toy housing body and a bistable spring located on a front of the toy housing body and which has an opened position and a closed position and which is capable of transitioning therebetween.
 2. The toy projectile of claim 1, wherein the toy housing body is in a shape selected from the group consisting of a dart, an arrow and a car.
 3. The toy projectile of claim 1, further comprising a propulsion medium selected from the group consisting of a spring, a rubber band, a tension object and an external propulsion device.
 4. The toy projectile of claim 3, wherein the external propulsion device is an air gun or a spring loaded gun.
 5. The toy projectile of claim 3, wherein one end of the propulsion medium is fixed inside the toy housing body.
 6. The toy projectile of claim 5, wherein an opposing end of the propulsion medium is exposed outside the housing body as a hook or a loop.
 7. The toy projectile of claim 6, wherein the hook or loop is hung on another object.
 8. The toy projectile of claim 7, wherein another object is a car or an air gun. ty
 9. The toy projectile of claim 6, wherein the bistable spring can be transitioned from the closed position to the open position by pulling on the exposed hook or loop while maintaining a hold on a rear end of the housing body.
 10. The toy projectile of claim 1, wherein the housing body is made of a material selected from the group consisting of rubber, plastic and wood.
 11. A game comprising the toy projectile of claim 1 and a target having at least one component being of a tubular shape.
 12. The game of claim 11 wherein toy projectile can be propelled towards the target and the bistable spring transitions from the open to the closed position upon striking the target such that the bistable spring retains a hold on the component of tubular shape of the target.
 13. The game of claim 11, wherein the target contains multiple components of tubular shape in a desired pattern and wherein the target contains tubular components which function to provide a base for the target.
 14. The game of claim 11 wherein the base of the target can be placed on the ground or an elevated position.
 15. The game of claim 11 which comprises more than one toy projectile.
 16. The game of claim 15, wherein the toy projectiles have different shapes.
 17. The game of claim of claim 11 wherein the target component of tubular shape can be a finger of a human hand of a player.
 18. A process of playing a game comprising propelling the toy projectile of claim 1 into a target having a tubular component.
 19. A process of policing comprising propelling a projectile towards a person wherein the projectile comprises a housing body and a bistable spring located on a front of the housing body and which has an opened position and a closed position and which is capable of transitioning therebetween.
 20. The process of claim 19 wherein the person is a fugitive, a prisoner or a person to be restrained by police. 